The last Prestwich Area Partnership of the municipal year was held at the recently refurbished Church Lane Community Centre in Prestwich last night.

It was a packed and generally upbeat meeting full of developments from around Prestwich.

MINUTES SILENCE

The meeting started with a minutes silence for Barry Simpson, Vice Chair of Downham Gardens Tenants & Residents Association who sadly passed away recently.

ST.MARY’S PARK AND PLAY AREAS

Neil Long from Bury Council Parks and Leisure Services gave a presentation updating the partnership about improvements to local parks and play areas. The highlight is St.Mary’s Flower park which is currently having £30,000 spent on it to restore it too something akin to its former glory.

PRESTWICH CLOUGH DAY

Our Partner spot saw David Stanley from Prestwich Clough Centenary Committee outlining the aim of the organisation and plans for this years Clough Day on May 16th . This annual event now marks the start of Prestwich Festival. You can find out more about this great family event here.

ANTI- WASTE CAMPAIGN  

We also had a great presentation from the Waste Disposal Authority encouraging people not to waste so much food and offering some handy hints and free goodies too.

POLICE

Sergeant Ian Campbell presented an update on Crime and policing. In particular highlighting the success of their clampdown on anti-social behaviour.

MONEY FOR GOOD CAUSES

And finally the Area Partnership approved hundreds of pounds of grants to local good causes including the Church Lane Community Centre, Rainsough TRA and Simister Village Community Association.

THANK YOU

As it was the last meeting of the municipal year, as Chair, I thanked officers for all the hard work and support and the members of the LAP for their input and of course the great Prestwich public for their attendance and input. 

NEXT MEETING MAY 20th, from 6.15pm - LONGFIELD SUITE

The last full meeting of Bury Council last night was the shortest I can remember for a long time - finishing around 8.30!

Perhaps because of the close proximity to elections no party had tabled any motions, so no debates. However there was plenty of scope for hurling political abuse and point scoring during questions to the Leader of the Council, (Bacup) Bob Bibby.

During questions stresses and anxieties were clearly evident. The stresses and anxieties that develop as an election dawns and politicians get closer to the day when they are stood on voters doorsteps seeking a mandate for 4 more years.

Some Conservatives chastised the Lib Dem group for laughing!!! Believe me if they were sat where we were, they would have been laughing too!

We established that there were 904 pot holes and uneven pavements reported in the past year, which if nothing else confirms what most of us already know - what a mess the roads and pavements are in.

Other than that answer most of the questions, including one from myself, were connected to the review of civic suites and the Tories lukewarm (at best) support for Radcliffe Civic Hall.

However the answers to questions from the Conservative Group were notable for their determination NOT to answer the question that had been put.

The highlight of the meeting was when the Mayor thanked David Hanson, head of Democratic Services for his 27 years service to Bury Council. Councillors spontaneously applauded following the announcement. He will be missed by all councillors, many of whom (including myself) have often relied on his support and advice over the years. I wish him a happy and lengthy retirement.

Next Full Council is in May - There will be new faces and perhaps some surprising absentees, and possibly even a new administration. It’s over to you!

It is looking increasingly likely that the General election will be on the same day as the local elections.

Whilst all the media interest has been about Brown, Clegg, Cameron and Westminster, we shouldn’t forget that the local elections will have serious consequences as well.

In Bury we have a Conservative administration that is desperate to hang onto power despite a string of high profile mistakes and u-turns.

In Prestwich where the Lib Dems hold all 9 council seats and will be defending three seats, we are hoping residents will show their support for the hard work we have been doing over the past two years (since the last locals).

In fact the contrast is clear. Whilst in Prestwich the Lib Dems have been campaigning to protect local services, keep the Council Tax down and redirect resources to crucial and underfunded services like highway improvements etc, the Conservatives have taken the opposit view.

They have been hunting for cuts such as their recent threats to community centres and parking charges proposal for Fairfax Road car park. And they have been increasing Council tax by well over inflation rate at a time when people can least afford it.

So when you go to the polls on May 6th, if the General Election is on the same day, don’t think nationally and vote the same way locally. All I would ask is that you look at the local situation and look at what the parties have said and done locally and their candidates/councillors records and vote accordingly. And then make seperate judgements on the General Election.

You never know you may end up with what you want at Bury Town Hall AND Westminster, but in any case having considered all the information to hand for two elections, you will have voted and made your vote count. No one can ask fairer than that.

I was delighted to join my colleague Richard Baum (Bury North PPC) for a live Radio interview and phone-in at Bury’s Project Radio on sunday.

As part of their General Election coverage, project Radio are interviewing local parliamentary candidates and we of course were delighted to do our bit.

Anwar (pictured) put a variety of questions to the two of us on subjects ranging from Iraq and Afghanistan to the economy and the expenses scandal.

Project Radio is currently operating on a 28 day pilot licence from Knowsley Street and is hoping ultimately to become Bury’s first community radio station.

I was delighted to have been able to support project radio and hopefully we managed to enlighten a few people with our answers.

Prestwich’s popular Longfield Suite community centre has been reprieved by Bury Council.

A statement issued today by Bury Council has confirmed that:
“This be retained in its current format, but an effective business plan be put in place to improve marketing, awareness, usage and income. The group considers that it can build on and promote its reputation as a venue for dance activities, which have proved popular and which help to ensure that local residents have access to health and well being activities. Around 72% of Longfield Suite users who responded in the survey said they used the suite for dancing events.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Vic D’Albert who was at the forefront of the campaign, commented,

“This is great news for Prestwich and sends a strong signal to Bury Conservatives that people are proud of their local community faciities.The strength of feeling for the Longfield Suite was clear for all to see from the start, all except Bury’s Conservative administration who once again thought they new best.

“I now urge Bury Council to work with Prestwich councillors, Prestwich Area Partnership and local people to find a long term solution and put together a sustainable business plan for the centre.
“Furthermore I would make a plea to this Conservative administration to stop trying to sidestep the democratic process and dialogue with Councillors. Months of campaigning and wasted officer time and resources could have been saved. We told Bury Council at the start what their precious “Task and Finish Group” have admitted today.

“And I have to question the judgement of the leader of the Council. Back in November he was brave enough to attend a public meeting I had arranged. At that meeting 300 local people told him to stop this nonsense, if only he was brave enough to listen to local people and admit their mistake then.

“I must also congratulate the 1000’s of people that signed the petition, the 1300 who completed the Council survey and all those local people and Longfield centre users that fought so hard to keep the facilities as they are. Truly a great example of local people power in action.

“Finally I am dissapointed that todays announcement still leaves the future of Radcliffe Civic Hall in doubt. I would call on Bury Council to work with Radcliffe councillors and local residents and users to look at a positive way forward for this important local asset. As the end of the day, if we lose these facilities we aren’t going to get them back any time soon, so we need to make the most out of them and ensure they have sound business and marketing plans at the heart of their management.”

2nd - Polefield Tenants & Residents Association

5th - Presentation of Save Our Suite Petition to the Mayor of Bury

9th - Economy, Environment & Transport Scrutiny Committee - Bury Town Hall

17th - Full meeting of Bury Council, 7pm Bury Town Hall

18th - Prestwich Area Partnership, 6.30pm, Church Lane Community Centre.